OHSS News: UK Proposes 40-Year Asbestos Removal Deadline

23 May 2022

The OHSS team has been involved in many asbestos removal and disposal projects over the years, providing consultancy services for asbestos surveys, monitoring and compliance with asbestos regulations. Since launching in 2001, we’ve been busy, due to the fact that asbestos is still very commonly found in older buildings built before the late 90s ban.

Today we bring you the news that in the UK, legacy asbestos could become a thing of the past, thanks to a proposal from the Work & Pensions Committee to set a 40-year deadline for its complete removal from public and commercial buildings. This major move could potentially set a new standard for other countries to follow suit.

MP Stephen Timms - “A Ground-breaking Directive”

The proposal was delivered recently to the House of Commons, during which a recommendation was also made that both the government and Health & Safety Executive incorporate the findings into their asbestos management approach. 

To date, the UK is one of around 60 nations that has banned the use of asbestos, however, no one has yet introduced measures like this to regulate legacy asbestos. It’s something that continues to kill people in the thousands, after having done so for decades. 

UK MP Stephen Timms, whose also the Work & Pensions Committee chair called the move ‘ground-breaking’, saying “Asbestos is one of the great workplace tragedies of modern times.“While the extreme exposures of the late 20th century are now behind us, the risk from asbestos remains real.”

Protecting Irish Businesses Against Workplace Hazards

This would represent a landmark moment in the fight against asbestos, if it was passed into law, but of course, it will still take a long time to implement. Even if it is introduced as planned, it will be well into the 2060s before it’s completely eradicated - and then just in the UK.

Until that happens, the OHSS team will continue to provide expert consultancy and training services for the identification and management of asbestos. To find out more about how we do that or to discover our full range of occupational health services, visit us at www.ohss.ie today.

Alternatively, to speak to us about anything else, give us a call on 01 6905901 today and we’ll be more than happy to help answer any questions you might have.

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